Flying on the Dance Floor
by xCrackaDoodlex
Summary: :Modern AU: - Ezio is driven to drink after a vicious fight with his boyfriend, Vieri. Tonight, all he wants to do is drown his sorrows, but will a chance meeting with a mystery man help him find the strength to fight back? Altair/Ezio  Rated T for now .


The liquor was cheap and disgusting, but Ezio could no longer bring himself to care. Pushing the empty glass across the counter, another full of the repulsive drink slid itself into his waiting hand. His head hurt, everything hurt, so the burn from the alcohol was barely felt as he swigged it down. In the background, he could hear obnoxious dance music blaring away as the sound of people talking past it trickled through the lyrics. He avoided listening to any of it, staring deeply into the glass cradled in his palms until a hand waved in front of his vision, fingers clicking once or twice.

Lifting his gaze slowly, Ezio raised a single eyebrow in question at the bartender who was leaning on one elbow, looking at him with a concerned gaze. With a sigh, the depressed man shook his head.

"It's nothing, alright?" He muttered, taking another sip of his drink. _Yuck._

"Yeah, and I'm really going to believe that." Ezio hated it when people gave him that pitying tone, and felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Propping his chin up on one elbow, he felt tickling strands of his hair brush against his knuckles, some having come loose from his hair tie at some point. '_I probably look a wreck.'_ He thought, sparing a second's glance at the clock - the hands tauntingly reminding him just how late it was - before murmuring a response:

"Desmond, it doesn't matter."

"Is it Vieri again?" At this, Ezio grunted in confirmation causing the other to smile. "You know, just for one night can't you just live a little? Go out there and dance, I'm sure there are plenty of people eyeing you and waiting for you to step up."

"You know I hate doing that sort of thing." Ezio growled, downing the rest of his liquor and nudging the glass towards Desmond.

"No Ezio, I am not giving you any more alcohol tonight." At this, the Italian's jaw dropped making Desmond laugh.

"But-!"

"I'll give you a compromise, for every song you dance to I'll give you a beer."

That was how Ezio found himself in the centre of the dance floor to some mind-numbing track that was supposedly in the top 10 best dance songs. Truth be told, he _did_ enjoy dancing, but not with strangers and especially desperate girls who tried to throw themselves _breast-first_ at him. He just wasn't in the mood and quite frankly couldn't care less about the offers that they made him. At one point, someone carrying a pint had spilt some on his jeans but he didn't feel like caring about that either. Tonight, he was just going to get pissed and wake up (hopefully in his own bed) to another typical day.

Suddenly the song changed and he threw Desmond a hopeful glance across the room, but the bartender was looking at him oddly. It was then that he felt fingers dance across his shoulder to settle in a firm grip on his arm. Turning in surprise, Ezio's eyes widened as he took in the person who was standing casually less than a foot away. He stood slightly taller than himself, his hair a sandy brown colour and skin a shade that was just a little paler then his own. He was dressed in an open, dark leather jacket with a black shirt clinging to the defined chest beneath. Gaze travelling lower, Ezio saw the man was wearing a tight, shark grey pair of slacks that also added to the exuding air of power in his body. And those eyes! Flicking his gaze back up to the stranger's, his own chocolate eyes seemed to melt away at the liquid gold that practically glowed back at him.

"Err, hello-" Before Ezio could finish his sentence, the other man had swept his hands up to the Italian's and began to dance with him! Not really knowing what else to do, Ezio followed the taller man's lead and was awed to find how confident the other seemed. From across the bar, Desmond was silently cheering him on and a small smile flickered on his own mouth. Regardless of what tomorrow brought, he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by.

Relaxing a little more into the dancing, Ezio allowed the music to carry him as he and this mystery man dominated the dance floor, other couples stopping to watch the two. It was exhilarating and daring, almost like a battle as they glided from one move to the next, mirroring one moment, melding together the next. It had been a long time since Ezio had felt such merry buoyancy and he was out to make the most of it! By now a small crowd had formed to watch them dance away as one song turned to two, then a dozen until finally he felt himself beginning to tire. By the end of the night, Ezio felt pride swelling in his chest and also a warm glow of happiness as he followed the man from the dance floor to the cool night air outside.

"Dio mio…" Ezio laughed lightly, turning to face the other. "I must be going now but thank you ever so much for tonight." At this, the man's lips quirked into a small smile, holding his hand out for him to take. Ezio shook the hand at once, feeling once again the fingers that had first twined with his several hours ago. Something about this exchange felt more intimate, however. The firmness in the motion was declaring almost that the man had too, enjoyed himself. He added as an afterthought: "My name is Ezio Auditore."

"Altair,_ Altair Ibn-La'Ahad_."

An hour later when Ezio finally crashed in his bed, he once again pulled a note of paper - wrinkled from the times that he had done that tonight – from his pocket. Written on it was AltaÏr's name and number and Ezio couldn't help but grin as he re-folded it and tucked it safely into his hoodie.


End file.
